Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Today is Tuesday, so that means it’s time for my weekly
breakdown of this week’s New York Times lists of best-selling graphic novels.
According to those lists, there is one new book at the top of the two major
graphic novel lists this week.

“The Best American Comics 2013” by Jeff Smith and others
replaced “The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story” by Vivek Tiwary and Andrew
C. Robinson as the No. 1 book on the Hardcover Graphic Books best-sellers list.

“The Walking Dead Compendium, Vol. 1” by Robert Kirkman and
others remained the top book on the Paperback Graphic Books best-sellers list
for the third week in a row.

There were four books on this week’s Hardcover Graphic Books
best-sellers list that weren’t on that list last week. They (and their places on
the list) included “The Encyclopedia of Early Earth” by Isabel Greenberg (2),
“Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 1” by Tom Taylor and Jheremy Raapack (7),
“Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists” by Chris
Duffy and others (8) and “Jane, the Fox and Me” by Fanny Britt, Isabelle
Arsenault and others (10).

There were four books on this week’s Paperback Graphic Books
best-sellers list that wasn’t on that list last week. They included “The
Walking Dead, Vol. 1” by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore (6), “Boxers and Saints
Boxed Set” by Gene Luen Yang (7), “Saga, Vol. 1” by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona
Staples (8) and “Battling Boy” by Paul Pope (10).

As a reminder, I’m posting these lists each Tuesday because
they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary recommended reading list.
These lists are initially released each week on Sunday, and if you’re
interested in reading them then, visit The New York Times’ Web site at
www.nytimes.com. Below you’ll find both of this week’s best-seller lists.

Several days ago, I ran across a great “best of” list
published by Popular Mechanics magazine called “The 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies of
All Time.” Compiled by Jordan Hoffman, the list included dozens of science
fiction classics and also a few movies that I wouldn’t have considered for the list.
For more information about the movies on this list visit www.popularmechanics.com. Without
further ado, here’s the complete list:

POPULAR MECHANICS’ “THE 100 BEST SCI-FI MOVIES OF ALL TIME:

1.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2.
Blade Runner (1982)

3.
Gattaca (1997)

4.
Aliens (1986)

5.
Metropolis (1927)

6.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

7.
Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

8.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

9.
The Terminator (1984)

10.
Planet of the Apes (1968)

11.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

12.
Alien (1979)

13.
RoboCop (1987)

14.
Forbidden Planet (1956)

15.
Wall-E (2008)

16.
Logan's Run (1976)

17.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992)

18.
Akira (1988)

19.
Dark City (1998)

20.
Children of Men (2006)

21.
The Fly (1986)

22.
A Trip to the Moon (1902)

23.
Total Recall (1990)

24.
Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977)

25.
The Matrix (1999)

26.
Minority Report (2002)

27.
District 9 (2009)

28.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)

29.
Tron (1982)

30.
Sunshine (2007)

31.
Mad Max (1979)

32.
The Thing (1982)

33.
Jurassic Park (1993)

34.
Idiocracy (2006)

35.
Primer (2004)

36.
E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

37.
Ghost in the Shell (1995)

38.
Solaris (1972)

39.
Brazil (1985)

40.
Gojira (1954)

41.
Donnie Darko (2001)

42.
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

43.
Back to the Future (1985)

44.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

45.
Enemy Mine (1985)

46.
Soylent Green (1973)

47.
Moon (2009)

48.
Starship Troopers (1997)

49.
A Scanner Darkly (2006)

50.
Avatar (2009)

51.
The Time Machine (1960)

52.
The Andromeda Strain (1971)

53.
Abre Los Ojos (1997)

54.
Predator (1987)

55.
Contact (1997)

56.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

57.
1984 (1984)

58.
When Worlds Collide (1951)

59.
The Last Starfighter (1984)

60.
Frankenstein (1931)

61.
12 Monkeys (1995)

62.
Altered States (1980)

63.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

64.
Destination Moon (1950)

65.
Them! (1954)

66.
Repo Man (1984)

67.
THX-1138 (1971)

68.
Sleeper (1973)

69.
Inception (2010)

70.
Alphaville (1965)

71.
Rollerball (1975)

72.
Day of the Triffids (1962)

73.
Ikarie XB-1 (1963)

74.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

75.
Dark Star (1974)

76.
Outland (1981)

77.
Scanners (1981)

78.
Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

79.
Fantastic Planet (1973)

80.
Cube (1997)

81.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

82.
Dreamscape (1984)

83.
Stalker (1979)

84.
Men in Black (1997)

85.
Sleep Dealer (2008)

86.
Starman (1984)

87.
The Fountain (2006)

88.
eXistenZ (1999)

89.
Galaxy Quest (1999)

90.
War of the Worlds (1953)

91.
They Live (1988)

92.
Silent Running (1972)

93.
Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971)

94.
The Black Hole (1979)

95.
Serenity (2005)

96.
Westworld (1973)

97.
City of Lost Children (1995)

98.
Attack the Block (2011)

99.
Splice (2009)

100.
Escape From New York (1981)

In the end, how many of these movies have you watched? Which
did you like or dislike? Which is your favorite? Which would you have ranked
No. 1? Let us know in the comments section below.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Country music legend Hank Williams is arguably Alabama’s
most famous native, and his boyhood home is located in Georgiana, a small town
in Butler County, Ala. His boyhood home now houses the Hank Williams Sr.
Boyhood Home & Museum, a place that I’ve wanted to visit for years. I added
a trip to this museum to my “life list” a couple of years ago and finally took
the time to visit it on Tuesday of last week.

Williams lived in Georgiana between the ages of seven and 11
and moved into the single-story, wood frame house located at 127 Rose St. in
1931. A year later, Hank’s mother, Lillie Williams, bought Hank his first
guitar for $3.50, and it’s said that he practiced playing the instrument while
sitting on an old car seat beneath the house. The family
moved to Greenville in 1934.

Today, Hank’s boyhood home serves as a fine hometown museum,
and the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission
is $3 for adults and $2 for students. Children under six get in free. The
museum is closed on Sundays.

During my visit to the museum Tuesday of last week, museum
employee Margaret Gaston gave my son and I the grand tour and joking told us
that the museum contained exhibits and Hank Williams memorabilia “in every room
of the house except for the restroom.” The museum does contain an impressive
collection of all things Hank Williams, including guitars, clothing and hats
belonging to Williams, concert posters, dozens of old photographs, paintings,
original Williams albums and records, and framed newspaper stories and
magazines featuring Williams. Also on display are several vintage radios, an
old jukebox, Hank-themed quilts, model cars, statues of Hank, and a couple of
cool, wooden Indians.

The museum grounds also include “Thigpen’s Log Cabin,” an
old roadhouse that was originally located on Old U.S. Highway 31, about one
mile north of Georgiana. The City of Georgiana moved the structure to the
museum property a number of years ago and has restored it. Many of Hank’s
earliest performances were held in the building.

In addition, there are also a number of other interesting
things to check out that are just a short walk from the museum. Across the
street you’ll find the Hank Williams Sr. Fan Club House and in a yard next door
there’s an old train caboose that’s been painted red, white and blue and bears
the words “GEORGIANA, ALABAMA – Home of Hank Williams.”

Also, just a short walk from the museum is the Ga-Ana Theatre,
which is located at 602 East Railroad Ave. The theatre opened in 1939 and eight
months later, Williams, then age 16, and his band, The Drifting Cowboys,
performed at the theatre. The theatre closed in 1959, but reopened in 1999
after an extensive restoration project.

In the end, how many of you have been to the Hank Williams
museum in Georgiana? What did you think about it? What was your favorite
exhibit? Let us know in the comments section below.

When it comes to classic science fiction movies, it’s hard
to top 1953’s “The War of the Worlds.” Over the years, I’ve seen references to
this movie all over the place, and it’s on more “best of” lists than I can
count. I put this movie on my “life list” a couple of years ago and finally
took the time to watch it on Friday.

Based on H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel, this movie was directed by
Byron Haskin and starred Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Lewis Martin
and Sandro Giglio. Released in August 1953, the movie is 85 minutes long. It
went on to win an Academy Award for Special Effects and was also nominated for
Oscars in the categories of Film Editing and Sound Recording.

For those of you unfamiliar with the novel and the 1953 movie,
they’re about an intelligent race of beings from Mars, who invade
Earth. Mankind is caught off guard and soon find themselves under attack from
the technologically advanced Martians. Man’s military might can’t handle the
Martians, but mankind gets the upper hand when the Martian’s succumb to
bacteria that they don't have immunity against.

Many of you will probably be familiar with this story thanks
to the 2005 film adaptation of the novel. Directed by Steven Spielberg, that
movie starred Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins. Morgan Freeman was
the narrator.

Of course, when you mention “The War of the Worlds,” it’s
also hard not to think about the Orson Welles radio drama that caused such a
panic on Halloween night 1937. A good portion of the broadcast was presented as
news bulletins, and many listeners thought the countryside was really being
invaded by Martians. There was a huge outcry after people realized that it
wasn’t real, but the broadcast made Orson Welles a legend in his own time.

Some of you may also remember the short-lived 1988 “War of
the Worlds” TV series. It ran for two seasons, between October 1988 and May
1990, and included 43 episodes. This series was somewhat of a sequel to the
events in the 1953 film, which made it interesting.

As mentioned, the 1953 film version can be found on a number
of “best of” lists. Popular Mechanics ranked “The War of the Worlds” at No. 90
on its list of “100 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time,” and MSN Entertainment
ranked it No. 40 on its list of “50 Greatest Science Fiction Movies of All
Time.” In 2008, TIME Magazine also ranked it on its Top 10 list of “Best 1950s
Sci-Fi Movies, and in 2011, the Library of Congress placed it on the National
Film Registry for preservation purposes. NASA even chipped in its two cents

In the end, how many of you have seen the 1953 version of
“The War of the Worlds”? What did you think about it? Did you like it or not?
What was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments section below.

One of the funniest cartoons ever is “The
Ren & Stimpy Show,” which originally ran for five seasons between August
1991 and December 1995. When this show first aired, I thought it was hilarious,
and I’ve always enjoyed watching the re-runs. Despite the fact that I’ve always
loved this cartoon, I couldn’t honestly say that I’d seen every episode, so I
added “Watch every episode of ‘Ren & Stimpy’ to my “life list” a couple of
year ago.

For those of you unfamiliar with “The Ren & Stimpy
Show,” the main characters are “Ren Hoek,” a scrawny and sometimes violent
Chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a red and white, dimwitted feline. Created by
John Kricfalusi, the show originally debuted on Nickelodeon and is considered a
forerunner of such shows as South Park and Family Guy. For more information
about the series, visit http://nicktoons.nick.com/shows/the-ren-and-stimpy-show/.

Currently, every episode of “The Ren & Stimpy Show” is
available on DVD through NetFlix, and starting in October I began watching the
entire run of the series, in order, from the first episode of Season One
through the final episode of Season Five. In all, the series included a pilot
and 52 regular episodes. Most episodes consisted of two separate cartoons
interspersed with the occasional humorous “commercial.”

If you’re interested in watching the complete run of “The
Ren & Stimpy Show,” I’ve made it easy for you. Below you’ll find a complete
list of every episode, in order, by season. Just print it out and scratch them
off as you watch them. Without further ado, here’s the list:

Season One:

Pilot Episode – “Big House Blues”

“Stimpy’s
Big Day” and “The Big Shot!”

“Robin
Hoek” and “Nurse Stimpy”

“Space
Madness” and “The Boy Who Cried Rat!”

“The
Littlest Giant” and “Fire Dogs”

“Marooned”
and “Untamed World”

“Black
Hole” and “Stimpy’s Invention”

Season Two:

“In
the Army” and “Powdered Toast Man”

“Ren’s
Toothache”

“Out
West” and “Rubber Nipple Salesmen”

“Sven
Hoek”

“Haunted
House” and “Mad Dog Hoek”

“Big
Baby Scam” and “Dog Show”

“Son
of Stimpy”

“Monkey
See, Monkey Don’t” and “Fake Dad”

“The
Great Outdoors” and “The Cat That Laid the Golden Hairball”

“Stimpy’s
Fan Club”

“A
Visit to Anthony”

“The
Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen”

“Man’s
Best Friend”

Season Three:

“To
Salve and Salve Not” and “No Pants Today”

“A
Yard Too Far” and “Circus Midgets”

“Ren’s
Pecs” and “An Abe Divided”

“Stimpy’s
Cartoon Show”

“Lair
of the Lummox”

“Bass
Masters”

“Ren’s
Retirement”

“Jerry
the Bellybutton Elf” and “Road Apples”

“Hard
Times for Haggis”

“Eat
My Cookies” and “Ren’s Bitter Half”

Season Five:

“Hermit
Ren”

“House
of Next Tuesday” and “A Friend in Your Face!”

“Blazing
Entrails” and “Lumber Jerks”

“Prehistoric
Stimpy” and “Farm Hands”

“Magical
Golden Singing Cheeses” and “A Hard Day’s Luck”

“I
Love Chicken” and “Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman”

“It’s
a Dog’s Life” and “Egg Yolkeo”

“Double
Header” and “The Scotsman in Space”

“Pixie
King” and “Aloha Hoek”

“Insomniac
Ren” and “My Shiny Friend”

“Cheese
Rush Days” and “Wiener Barons”

“Galoot
Wranglers” and “Ren Needs Help!”

“Superstitious
Stimpy” and “Travelogue”

Season Five:

“Ol’
Blue Nose” and “Stupid Sidekick Union”

“Space
Dogged” and “Feud for Sale”

“Hair
of the Cat” and “City Hicks”

“Stimpy’s
Pet” and “Ren’s Brain”

“Bellhops”
and “Dog Tags”

“I Was
a Teenage Stimpy” and “Who’s Stupid Now?”

“School
Mates” and “Dinner Party”

“Big
Flakes” and “Pen Pals”

“Terminal
Stimpy” and “Reverend Jack”

“A
Scooter for Yaksmas”

“Sammy
and Me” and “The Last Temptation”

Looking back over the list, I’d say my favorite episodes are
probably “Space Madness” and “The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen.” Others that
were especially good were “Reverend Jack,” “Insomniac Ren,” “The Great
Outdoors,” “Haunted House” and “Untamed World.”

In the end, how many of you have seen every episode of “The
Ren & Stimpy Show”? Which episode was your favorite? Why? Let us know in
the comments section below.

Local weather reporter Harry
Ellis reported .15 inches of rain on Dec. 25, .92 inches on Dec. 28, 3.30
inches on Dec. 29 and .62 inches on Dec. 30. He reported a high temperature of
73 degrees on Dec. 28 and a low of 33 on Dec. 24.

“The Citizens for a Clean
Southwest Alabama (CCSA) plan to hold a one-year anniversary celebration on
Saturday to mark the group’s first year of work against a proposed landfill in
Conecuh County.”

“County Emergency Management
Director Heather Walton received a public pat on the back during a Dec. 21
meeting of the Conecuh County Commission for her department’s performance in a
recent grant program review.

“County Administrator Judy
Covan told the county commission that she received a letter from Jim Walker,
Director of the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, who applauded the
county’s performance during a recent review of its County Homeland Security
Grant Program.”

“Rotary Club member Mike Hess
of Evergreen spoke to the club last Thursday about his hobby as a
radio-controlled airplane enthusiast.”

Local weather reporter Harry
Ellis reported 5.08 inches of rain during the month of December 1992 with total
rainfall for 1992 totaling 70.08 inches. He reported a high temperature of 71
on Jan. 3 and a low of 41 on Jan. 2.

“Members of the City of
Evergreen Fire Department battle heat and smoke from a blaze that erupted
Tuesday afternoon at Silk International Floral Imports. Business owner Bill
Durant said he was cleaning the windows on the exterior of the building when
the blaze apparently began. When he entered the front of the building, hot air
rushed by him and he saw flames shooting up the back wall. Mr. Durant called
the fire department. He credited the fire department officials with averting
what could have been a disastrous situation and containing the fire in a
storage room of his building. Smoke and water damage was reported throughout
the building. Smoke also filled neighboring buildings. The cause of the blaze
is under investigation.”

“The Evergreen-Conecuh County
Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual banquet next Thursday night,
Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Quality Inn. This year’s banquet features Dr. Malcolm
Portera as the guest speaker.

“Dr. Portera is Vice
Chancellor of External Affairs for the University of Alabama System. Dr.
Portera also directs the University Center for Economic Development of the
University of Alabama.

“Approximately 290
invitations have been sent by the chamber. Tickets for the banquet will be $15
each.”

36 YEARS AGO

JAN. 5, 1978

“1977 was a ‘dry’ year: The
year just ended was another ‘dry’ one compared to recent years, although total
rainfall for the year was only slightly less than for 1976. According to Earl
Windham, total rainfall for 1977 was 55.12 inches, compared to 56.29 inches in
1976, both years being dry ones when compared to 1975 when approximately 111
inches of rain fell.

“Both the 1977 and 1976
totals were close to the normal rainfall for this area.

“Windham reports .75 of an
inch of rain on Dec. 29.”

Windham also reported a high
temperature of 59 degrees on Dec. 26 and a low of 20 on Dec. 26.

“Private First Class Ronnie
M. Byrd, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Byrd, Rt. 1, Evergreen, Ala., recently
was assigned as a Hawk missile repairman with the 30th Ordnance Co. in Korea.

“Pvt. Byrd entered the Army
in September 1975. He is a 1976 graduate of Evergreen High School.”

“The Huntingdon Singers from
Huntingdon College, Montgomery, will appear in concert at the Evergreen United
Methodist Church Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. The Huntingdon Singers are under
the direction of Dr. Jeanne E. Shaffer and the group is composed of some 14
college youths.”

“The Red Cross Bloodmobile of
the Mobile Red Cross Blood Bank will be here next Thursday, Jan. 12, at Ed E.
Reid State Technical College from 12 noon until six for its first of three
scheduled visits this year.”

51 YEARS AGO

JAN. 3, 1963

“These real daughters of the
Confederacy whose fathers fought for the South in the War Between the States
were honored recently by the Pinckney D. Bowles Chapter of the U.D.C. The
ladies and their fathers are: Mrs. Emma Graves Russell Salter, Charles Graves
Russell; Mrs. Dolly S. Mills, Mitchell B. Salter; Mrs. Josie Jones Brooks,
Milton B. Jones; Miss Elizabeth Riley, William George Riley; and Mrs. Jessie
Cleere Page, George DeWitt Cleere.”

“Cadet Sara Ann McLendon
holds the John David Smith Trophy which was presented to her at the annual
Christmas party of the Evergreen Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol. State
Representative Wiley Salter made the presentation. The award is given annually
by Major Lee F. Smith for the cadet chosen most outstanding for the year in the
local squadron. This is the fourth time the award has been presented.”

“Evergreen will get dial
phones in ’64: Evergreen’s telephone system is to be converted to dial
operation. Announcement of the conversion is made today by J.D. Kaylor, Brewton
group manager of Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co.

“Evergreen is one of the last
cities of its size in the state to go to dials and one of the last exchanges of
its size in the country to still be operated manually.

“The local exchange will
continue to use the present building with the addition being made to it. The
exchange is located next to the post office on Rural Street. Miss Elsie Couey
is chief operator.”

66 YEARS AGO

JAN. 1, 1948

“Geneva High School Building
Dynamited: GENEVA, Ala., Dec. 29 – Sheriff W.P. Register reported today that
the 20-room Geneva High School building had been dynamited Christmas Eve and
that he was investigating the possibility that ‘a bunch of boys’ set off the
blast as a ‘prank.’

“Register said a deputy state
fire marshall was coming here today to assist him in the case.

“The officer said all windows
in the building were shattered and that ‘considerable repairs’ would have to be
made before the school could be reopened after the Christmas holidays.

“’I haven’t found any
evidence yet to indicate who did the work, but my own idea is that a bunch of
boys did the thing as a sort of a prank,’ he said.

“Register said the explosion
was set off about 10 p.m. and that there was no one in the building at the
time.”

“Following, an illness of
more than eight months, George Mott Jones, age 67, passed away at the family
residence on Belleview Ave. at 12 noon Wednesday. He had been critically ill
for more than two months.

“Mr. Jones was a native of
Evergreen and lived here all of his life except for some 15 years when he lived
in Covington County near Brooklyn.”

“Dr. John M. Gallalee, for 35
years a member of the University engineering faculty, becomes the 18th
president of the University of Alabama, Jan. 1

“Dr. Gallalee, who for the
past two years has been technical director of the State Building Commission,
was elected to the presidency to succeed Dr. R.R. Paty, whose resignation was
effective Jan. 1 to become chancellor of the University of Georgia System.”

Sunday, December 29, 2013

The Alabama Sports Writers Association released today the list of finalists for its annual Back of the Year and Lineman of the Year awards. The list includes three finalists for both awards in each of the six classes within the Alabama High School Athletic Association and three finalists for both awards from within the Alabama Independent School Association as a whole.

Winners will be announced on Jan. 15 during the ASWA's Player of the Year banquet at the Alabama Activities Center in Montgomery. The ASWA will also announce the winner of its annual Mr. Football Award and the members of its Super 12 team at that time. What follows is a complete list of this year's finalists.

This week’s “Comic Book of the Week” is “Who’s Who: The
Definitive Directory of the DC Universe” #1, which was published by DC Comics
in March 1985. This 26-issue limited series, which ran through April 1987,
catalogued the wide variety of superheroes, villains, headquarters, buildings,
weapons, groups, etc. that were part of the “DC Universe” group of comics.
It was basically an indexed reference encyclopedia in comic book form.

“Who’s Who” #1 was a 32-page issue that contained 32
entries. Entries in this issue included:

-Abel

-Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast

-Abra Kadabra

-Adam Strange

-Aegeus

-Air Wave I

-Air Wave II

-Alley-Kat-Abra

-All-Star Squadron

-All-Star Squadron Headquarters

-Amazing-Man

-Amazo

-Ambush Bug

-Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld

-Angle Man

-Animal-Man

-Anthro

-Apokolips

-Aquagirl

-Aqualad

-Aquaman

-Arak, Son of Thunder

-Arcane

-Arion, Lord of Atlantis

-Arkham Asylum

-Atari Force

-Atlantis

-Atom I

-Atom II

-Atomic Knight

-Atomic Skull

-Auron

For those of you unfamiliar with “Who’s Who,” here’s an
example of a typical entry. Aquaman is arguably the best known of all the
characters in issue #1, and what follows is his complete entry. Most entries
for characters follow the same format.

Tom Curry, a lonely lighthouse keeper, rescued a woman from
a hurricane. While nursing her back to health, Curry fell in love with the
woman, whose name was Atlanna. The two married and had a son, whom they named
Arthur.

As a child, Arthur discovered he had the ability to breathe
underwater and the telepathic power to command all creatures of the sea. When
Arthur was six, his mother revealed on her deathbed that she was an outcast from
the then-hidden sunken city of Atlantis. With his father’s help, young Arthur
began training to use his unique abilities. Several years later, Arthur’s
father passed away and Arthur became an orphan of the deep.

While in his early 20s, Arthur, now dubbed Aquaman by the
media, met another young Atlantean outcast who called himself Aqualad (see Aqualad)
and the two have been comrades ever since. At one point, Atlantis called upon
Aquaman to help them defeat alien invaders, the named him their ambassador to
the surface world.

Eventually, Aquaman met Mera, exiled queen of an
interdimensional water world, and ultimately married her.

Soon after, King Juvor died and Aquaman was proclaimed King
of Atlantis. Months later, Mera gave birth to Arthur Jr., who exhibited her
super-power of creating solid objects from hard water. Together, this new royal
family introduced Atlantis to the outside world.

In time though, the sinister Shark (see Shark), in
human guise, deposed Aquaman and forced the family to relocate. The Sea King
finally defeated the Shark and was offered the throne once more, but he turned
it down, preferring to remain first and foremost a super-hero.

After his son was slain during a battle with his old foe
Black Mantis (see Black Mantis), Aquaman and company moved to the
submerged East Coast city of New Venice, where they currently operate out of
the ground floor of an old police station.

POWERS & WEAPONS:

Aquaman’s greatest ability is his telepathic mastery over
all of the sea’s inhabitants. His body is also more dense than that of a normal
human, enabling him to survive the awesome pressure of the deep, as well as
extreme changes in temperature. This density gives him superior strength on
land, and he is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

Underwater, his swimming speed is in excess of 100 mph.

The Sea King is unable to remain out of water indefinitely.
This liability developed sometime after adolescence, and if Aquaman remains out
of contact with water for more than an hour, he weakens, slips into a coma and
will ultimately die.

This comic (unless I’ve sold it) and others are available
for purchase through Peacock’s Books on Amazon.com. If you’re interested in
buying it, search for it there by title, issue number and date of publication.

Today is Sunday, so that means that it’s time for my weekly
breakdown of this week’s Publishers Weekly Best-Sellers Lists. According to
those lists, there is only one new book at the top of the four major
best-sellers lists this week.

"Killing Jesus" by Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
replaced "Things That Matter" by Charles Krauthammer as the top book
on the hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list.

"Sycamore Row" by John Grisham remained the No. 1
book on the hardcover fiction best-sellers list for the second week in a row.

"Notorious Nineteen" by Janet Evanovich remained the top book on the
mass market paperback best-sellers list for the fifth week in a row.

"Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen" by Kay
Robertson remained the top book on the trade paperbacks best-sellers list for
the third straight week.

There were no new books on this week’s hardcover fiction
best-sellers list. It was the same 15 books, just in a slightly different
order.

There was only one new book on this week’s hardcover
nonfiction best-sellers list that wasn’t on the list last week - "Break
Out!" by Joel Osteen, which was No. 15 on the list.

There were four new books on this week’s mass market
paperbacks best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. Those books
(and their places on the list) included "Zoo" by James Patterson and
Michael Ledwidge (2), "A Bend in the Road" by Nicholas Sparks (7),
"The Fifth Assassin" by Brad Meltzer (10) and "The Sins of the
Mother" by Danielle Steel (13).

There were four books on this week’s trade paperbacks
best-sellers list that weren’t on the list last week. They included "The
Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien (8), "The Casual Vacancy" by J.K.
Rowling (11), "Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter (13) and "Where'd
You Go, Bernadette?" by Maria Semple (15).

As a reminder, I’m posting these
lists each Sunday because they, as a whole, represent a great, contemporary
recommended reading list. These lists are initially released each week on
Thursday, and if you’re interested in reading them then, visit Publishers
Weekly’s Web site at www.publishersweekly.com. Below you’ll find all four of
this week’s best-seller lists.

HARDCOVER FICTION

1. "Sycamore Row" by John
Grisham

2. "The First Phone Call from
Heaven" by Mitch Albom

3. "Command Authority" by
Tom Clancy

4. "Doctor Sleep" by
Stephen King

5. "Cross My Heart" by
James Patterson

6. "Takedown Twenty" by
Janet Evanovich

7. "The Goldfinch" by
Donna Tartt

8. "The Longest Ride" by
Nicholas Sparks

9. "Innocence" by Dean
Koontz

10. "King and Maxwell" by
David Baldacci

11. "The Gods of Guilt"
by Michael Connelly

12. "Inferno" by Dan
Brown

13. "And the Mountains
Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini

14. "Dust" by Patricia
Cornwell

15. "S'' by J.J. Abrams and
Doug Dorst

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. "Killing Jesus" by
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard

2. "Things That Matter"
by Charles Krauthammer

3. "Guinness World Records
2014" by Guinness World Records

4. "George Washington's Secret
Six" by Brian Kilmeade

5. "David and Goliath" by
Malcolm Gladwell

6. "The Pioneer Woman
Cooks" by Ree Drummond

7. "Miracles and
Massacres" by Glenn Beck

8. "Si-Cology 1" by Si
Robertson

9. "The Bully Pulpit" by
Doris Kearns Goodwin

10. "I Am Malala" by
Malala Yousafzai

11. "Let Me Off at the
Top!" by Ron Burgandy

12. "The Duck Commander
Devotional" by Alan Robertson

13. "Happy, Happy, Happy"
by Phil Robertson

14. "Humans of New York"
by Brandon Stanton

15. "Break Out!" by Joel
Osteen

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS

1. "Notorious Nineteen"
by Janet Evanovich

2. "Zoo" by James
Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

3. "A Dance with Dragons"
by George R.R. Martin

4. "Threat Vector" by Tom
Clancy

5. "The Racketeer" by
John Grisham

6. "Poseidon's Arrow" by
Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler

7. "A Bend in the Road"
by Nicholas Sparks

8. "Private: Number 1
Suspect" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

9. "Sinister" by Lisa
Jackson

10. "The Fifth Assassin"
by Brad Meltzer

11. "The Gift of
Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

12. "Unintended
Consequences" by Stuart Woods

13. "The Sins of the
Mother" by Danielle Steel

14. "The Mackade
Brothers" by Nora Roberts

15. "Hunting Eve" by Iris
Johansen

TRADE PAPERBACKS

1. "Miss Kay's Duck Commander
Kitchen" by Kay Robertson

2. "Hyperbole and a Half"
by Allie Brosh

3. "Dark Witch" by Nora
Roberts

4. "World Almanac and Book of
Facts 2014" by Sarah Janssen

5. "The Storyteller" by
Jodi Picoult

6. "Lone Survivor" by
Marcus Luttrell

7. "Dear Life" by Alice
Munroe

8. "The Hobbit" by J.R.R.
Tolkien

9. "The Chew" by Mario
Batali

10. "Dog Shaming" by
Pascale Lemire

11. "The Casual Vacancy"
by J.K. Rowling

12. "Orphan Train" by
Christina Baker Kline

13. "Beautiful Ruins" by
Jess Walter

14. "Unlikely Loves" by
Jennifer S. Holland

15. "Where'd You Go,
Bernadette?" by Maria Semple

In the end, let me know if you’ve
had a chance to read any of these books. What did you think about them? Which
would you recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

(For decades, paranormal investigator George “Buster”
Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The
column below, which was entitled “Dawn of a new year has endless
possibilities,” was originally published in the Dec. 28, 2000 edition of The
Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala. This column and all of Singleton’s other
columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe
County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here for
research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and
memory alive. Enjoy.)

As the clock strikes midnight on the 31st day of December,
all mankind will break from the old year that has been full of mistakes, many
errors and near misses.

Strange how only one second will separate the old year that
has passed and the new year that is about to begin. Man will pass through that
short element of time that has the magic to change all things.

During the span of time that it takes to blink an eye, the
whole world – each and every one living – has the opportunity to start anew, if
they choose.

All that happened in the tired old year of 2000 will only be
a memory. Suddenly, the gates will open wide for all to seek progress and
forgiveness. We can look back on our misgivings and mistakes and, as quickly as
a thought can flash through our minds, we can decide and discipline ourselves
for better times ahead.

Try to picture what would happen if everyone alive today
chose that last second of this tired old year to change and live a better and
more fruitful life. Imagine what would happen throughout this planet within the
first few hours of the newly born year.

We would not be concerned about the fighting and killing
that is going on in Bosnia and other parts of the world. We would not be up in
arms with Sadam and his terrorist misfits. We would not be concerned about the
many tons of cocaine and other drugs that are being smuggled across our borders
on a daily basis. We would not be saddened about the many abused small children
who are mistreated every hour that we live.

The drug and alcohol users would cast aside their avenues of
death and begin to seek out ways that would benefit those in need. Those who
have abused or who are now abusing the beautiful helpless babies who can’t lift
a finger in self defense would gather up some child, any child, and hold it
close and feel all the love that is there for the asking.

Each would look deep in that same helpless child’s eyes and
see the beauty that is to be found there – a beauty that is so great that it
can be found no where else.

The oceans and airways would be filled with people going to
the ends of the earth seeking out those who are in need. Laughter would ring
from the valleys and the high places. Happiness would abound as though the
whole world was covered with a blanket of joy and togetherness.

The fields, as far as the eye could see, would be green with
corn and food that would feed the hungry. Everyone would be so wrapped up in
their work until one would be insulted if told to take the day off. All the
ugly trash and dangerous chemicals that spoil our world and the beauty of the
Creation would have disappeared.

Where once there was only filth and ugliness, there would be
beauty. Flowers and plants would cover the landscape. One would be able to
travel miles in any direction and never see anything that would mar the
landscape.

Our forests would be allowed once again to grace our
countryside. Where waste and neglect once abounded, care and beauty would arise
from the rich, fertile earth.

I know that this dream of the new year coming is a bit far
fetched. But, should you smile as you read, remember that it could and can
happen. It is within our grasp. The small, short span of time, the second that
separates the old year from the new one, holds the clue. Only our thoughts and
actions and determination will change that which we deem impossible.

As I have stated many times, I do not profess to know that
which is ahead. But I believe with all my heart that our world is fast
approaching the crossroads. The point of no return waits just over the horizon.
Are we prepared for what is ahead?

So until we meet again…

Farewell, old year, theTime has come for you

And me to part.

There are many things that

I haven’t done that well

Within my heart.

But very soon – the hour

Is near, just a breath or

Two away.

I bid farewell

Amid smiles and tears, and

Seek a better day.

I’ll cast my eyes toward

The distant skies and pray

To the Lord above.

That the coming year

Will lend an ear and seek

His wondrous love.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and
Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime
resident of Monroeville, he was born on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County. He is
buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville.)

Friday, December 27, 2013

This week’s paper marks the final edition of The Courant for
the year 2013, and next week’s paper will be the first edition of the year
2014. Much has taken place in Conecuh County and in the rest of the world
during the preceding year, and I’m sure that we’ll be able to say the same this
time next year.

Next week, in this space, as I do on the first week of
every month, I’ll offer up my monthly review of all the interesting things that
were happening in Conecuh County a century ago, way back in January 1914.

The year 1914 was an interesting year in history, and you
might be surprised by some of the things that occurred during that year a
century ago.

Probably the most significant thing to occur in 1914 was the
June 28 assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife,
Duchess Sophie. This killing, which occurred in Sarajevo, eventually plunged
the world into one of the bloodiest conflicts ever, what we call today World
War I.

In September 1914, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission was
established, and in November of that year the Federal Reserve Bank of the
United States officially opened for business. It was also that year that
everyday items made of stainless steel were first sold to the general public.

Also that year, on March 29, explorer-researchers William
Scoresby Routledge and Katherine Routledge arrived on Easter Island to make the
first formal study of that mysterious island. They remained there until Aug.
1915.

In the realm of movies and film, famous actor Charlie
Chaplin debuted in his first film, a short comedy called “Making a Living.”
Paramount Pictures was founded on May 8, 1914, and Cecil B. DeMille made his
debut as a director.

Among books and writers, famous author Ralph Ellison was
born on March 1 and poet Dylan Thomas was born on Oct. 27. Edgar Rice
Burroughs’ book “Tarzan of the Apes” and James Joyce’s “Dubliners” were also
first published in 1914.

In the wide world of sports, Pittsburgh Pirate Honus Wagner
became the first baseball player to record 3,000 career hits. Also that year,
Babe Ruth made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox. The 1914 college
football national title was shared by four teams – Auburn, Army, Illinois and
Texas.

The Boston Braves swept the Philadelphia Athletics, 4-0, to
win the 1914 World Series, and Jack Johnson was the World Heavyweight Boxing
Champion. On March 1, 1914, famous baseball broadcaster Harry Caray was born,
and boxer Joe Louis was born on May 13 in Lafayette, Ala. Baseball legend Joe
DiMaggio was born on Nov. 25.

Other famous people born in 1914 included Army general
William Westmoreland, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, Superman co-creator
and comic book writer Jerry Siegel, polio vaccine creator Jonas Salk and
mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, who was one of the first two people to summit Mount
Everest. Famous people who died in 1914 included U.S. Vice President Adlai
Stevenson.

As you can see, 1914 was an eventful year in American and
world history. Who’s to say was 2014 will bring, but I’m sure that it will
likely be as eventful as that remarkable year a century ago.